Outdoors - Campbell promotes shooting programs

Saturday

Feb 23, 2013 at 7:14 PM

'Avid' is hardly the word to use in describing Wilmington resident Ray Campbell's passion for all things gun.

By Mike MarshSports@StarNewsOnline.com

Ray Campbell lives in Wilmington and serves as the president of Buccaneer Gun Club, located at Winnabow in Brunswick County. He is a lifelong shooter, and “avid” is hardly the word to use in describing his passion for all things gun. The Wilmington resident enjoys all types of shooting and competes each weekend in rifle, pistol and shotgun matches. He enjoys shooting so much that he has volunteered to be chairman of the Wilmington Friends of NRA fundraising event for the past 15 years.“I’m the only one that will seem to take it on, but I enjoy doing it,” said the 64-year-old retired assistant vice president of First Union Bank. “You can always get a committee together, but it’s hard to find a leader.”Buccaneer Gun Club recently received a $4,000 grant from the Friends of NRA that will purchase 70 cases of shotgun ammunition for its John Scott Youth Skeet Shooting Program. Last year, the Wilmington event raised $25,000 out of the state total of $140,000. Since its inception, the Wilmington event has raised more than $120,000.“Half of all the money that is raised comes back to the state to fund grants for youth shooting sports and safety projects,” he said. “The other half goes to NRA youth shooting programs at the national level. We bought the Eddie Eagle costume for the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Department that they use to teach kids about gun safety. We have also donated money to Ashley High School, Hoggard High School and Laney High School’s JROTC shooting teams. We will also be donating $3,000 to the West Brunswick High School JROTC and $3,000 to a Boy Scout Council near Raleigh from last year’s event. A total of more than $150,000 has been donated to southeastern North Carolina youth shooting programs.”This year’s event will be held at the Coastline Center, 501 Nutt St., Wilmington, on Saturday, March 23. Campbell said that with the interest generated in firearms by recent events, many Friends of NRA banquet and fundraisers nationwide have sold out in advance, so he advises anyone who wants to attend to buy their tickets and sponsorship packages early.One of the most sought-after raffle items this year will be a SIG 516 rifle, which can be used to compete in one of Buccaneer’s two-gun matches. The committee acquired it for $1,300, but Campbell said that, because of limited supply, it should be auctioned for about $3,000. The sponsor gun is a Kimber Custom II .45 ACP pistol, another gun that has become impossible to find.For more information, call Ray Campbell at 520-4822, email dhc@ec.rr.com, or visit NRA.org.